Railway signal torpedo



IF; BUTCHER.

RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO.

APPLlCATION HLED A.PR.25. 1921.

1,402,583. Patent ed Jan. 3,1922.

FRANK BUTCHER, OF vn-nsarrrns, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 CENTRAL RAIL- WAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF new .r nsEY.

Let-02,583.

RAILWAY SIGNAL TDBZ-PEDO.

Patented Jan.3,1922.

Application filed April 25, 1921. Serial "rlo. 464,111.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that l, FRANK DU'roHEn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Versailles, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Railway Signal Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification, "reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

Thls invention relates to improvements in railway signal torpedoes, and more par ticularly to railway signal torpedoes in which the explosive is carried in telescoping wrappers having crimped ends, the wrappers being provided with a protective casing and the torpedo having means for attaching it to a railway rail.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a railway signal torpedo so constructed that when it is exploded there will be no flying parts or fragments to cause injury or damage.

Another object of this invention is to provide a railway signal torpedo which is simple and cheap of manufacture and highly eliicient in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, cheap and quick manner of attaching the rail-engaging member to the torpedo. Y

-A still further object of my present improvement is to provide a torpedo having a case with a plurality of flat sides so that view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 l is a transverse vertical sectional view through a torpedo embodying my invention, the torpedo being round.

Referring now to the drawings in which like parts are designated by similar reference numerals throughout the description,

1 designates a wrapper of hexagonal shape in cross-section having one extending end 1 spun or crimpcd inwardly as at 2. ithin the wrapper l and retained therein by a paper or other suitable wad 3 is the explosive 4-, preferably in loose or pow strap or member 7 is placed upon one or the flat sides of the outer wrapper 5. In the preferable form the strap 7 is or" the same width asthe flat sides ofthe wrapper. The

wrappers and the rail engaging member are now placed or slid into the protective case 8 which is hexagonal in cross-section. The case 8 is of a proper size to recelve the wrappers andexploslve snugly and to bind the rail-engagingmember firmly in place on the fiat side of the wrapper 5 and beneath the case 8.

Fig. 4: shows a torpedo constructed in accordance with the above description with the exception that the case'and wrappers are round. In this torpedo l5 and l6designate the inner and out wrappers and 17 the protective casing. The rail-engaging strap or member 18-is held in place in this instance in like fashion as in the hexagonal shaped torpedo, being clamped between the outer wrapper 16 and the case l'l. The explosive charge 19 is contained in the inner wrapper as shown.

I wish it understood that I do not limit myself to any particular shape of torpedov charge, wrapper or case and that other forms of rail-engaging members can be readily and easily adapted to use with my.

torpedo. v

Tcrpedoes made in accordance with my invention, having telescoping wrappers with their opposite ends crimped and an open ended protective case, do not cause injury by flying particles when they are exploded.

When the torpedo is struck by a moving I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A railway signal torpedo comprising telescoping open ended wrappers having their opposite ends crimped closed and embracing an explosive, an outer open ended case, and a rail-engaging member carried between the case and the wrappers.

2. A railway signal torpedo, comprising telescoping wrappers having a plurality of flat sides, the opposite ends of the wrappers closed, an explosive within the inner wrapper, an outer open ended case embracing the'wrappers, and a'rail-engaging member carried upon one of the flat sides of the outer wrapper and beneath the case.

3. A railway signal torpedo comprising an explosive within a wrapper having one end crimped inwardly and its other end closed by a wad, an'outer wrapper having one end open and embracing the explosive wrapper, the opposite end of the outer wrapper crimped and abutting the wad, an open ended case embracing the two mentioned wrappers, and a rail-engaging member carried by the torpedo between the wrappers and the case. r

4. railway signal torpedo comprising telescoping wrappers having opposite extending ends crimped inwardly, an explosive embraced within the wrappers, a case 40 embracing the wrappers, and a rail-engaging member carried by the torpedo between the wrappers and the case.

'5. A railway signal torpedo comprising telescoping wrappers having a plurality of flat sides and provided with oppositely extending ends crimped inwardly, an explosive within the wrappers,a case embracing the wrappers, and a rail-engaging member carried by the torpedo for attaching it to a rail head.

6. A railway signal torpedo comprising telescoping wrappers having a plurality of flat sides and provided with oppositely extending ends crimped inwardly, an explosive within the wrappers, a case embracing the wrappers, and a rail-engaging member carried upon one of the fiat sides of the wrapper and beneath the case.

7. A railway signal torpedo comprising an explosive carried within wrappers having oppositely crimped ends, a case eml bracing the explosive and its wrappers, and a rail engaging member carried by the torpedo for attaching it to a rail-head.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

FRANK BUTCHER. 

